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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086725">The Subtle Art of Pranking Kim Doyoung</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pcyjunguwudays/pseuds/pcyjunguwudays'>pcyjunguwudays</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age changes, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Cute, Feelings Realization, Fluffy, Jaehyun/Sicheng, M/M, Pranks, Taeyong/Yuta - Freeform, Unrequited Crush, love potions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:34:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pcyjunguwudays/pseuds/pcyjunguwudays</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kim Doyoung is the easy target at Hogwarts. He's smart, good-looking, and very easy to anger. Oh, and the biggest thing? He's got a MASSIVE crush on Gryffindor 7th Year, Moon Taeil. What better way to prank Doyoung than by making him embarrass himself in front of the entire school? Nothing can go wrong...right?</p><p>A Johnny/Taeil fic written for JFF Prompt #JS065!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Moon Taeil/Suh Youngho | Johnny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Johnny Fic Fest: Round Two</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Subtle Art of Pranking Kim Doyoung</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for JFF Prompt #JS065: Person B made a huge mistake by giving Johnny a love potion disguised as a pumpkin juice. The thing is, even without love potion, Johnny is already smitten over Person B.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The large group gathered in the entrance to the Great Hall were trying (but failing) to go unnoticed. “Get Sicheng hyung to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, why me?” Sicheng complained, shoving at Mark. “Taeyong hyung, you do it, you’re closer to him than any of us are!” Sicheng thrust the vial into Taeyong’s hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, absolutely not,” Taeyong glared at Sicheng. “The last time I got roped into one of your silly little schemes, I’m the one that had to take the fall for it, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody</span>
  </em>
  <span> ran away.” He glared pointedly at Mark, who smiled sheepishly. “So I will not be participating in such foolery again, not this close to exams.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw come on, Yongie, don’t be a spoilsport,” Yuta pouted, leaning over to kiss his boyfriend, but Taeyong dodged it, frowning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you’re enabling them, Yuta.” He shook his head. “Do what you want, but I’m not having any part of this, ok? I don’t approve of you all pranking Doyoung all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, it’s funny, and it’s harmless,” Mark tried, but Taeyong turned his furious gaze on Mark. “We need entertainment!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Messing around with love potions is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> harmless. I don’t know why you’re so hell-bent on embarrassing Doyoung like that, there’s a reason he hasn’t told Taeil hyung about his crush himself and you all know that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta intervened quickly before it turned into a full-blown argument. “Jungwoo, you do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I’d love to prank someone as esteemed as Doyoung hyung, but if I get caught doing anything like this again, I’ll be expelled,” Jungwoo quickly put his hands up before Taeyong could dump the vial in his palm. “Not that I mind, of course, but my mother will quite literally murder me. The muggle way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop chickening out, you were the most enthusiastic about this,” Sicheng raised his eyebrows at Jungwoo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taeil hyung tastes like lemon milk,” Ten said suddenly, grinning wickedly as he inspected the vial in Taeyong’s hand. “Look, it’s golden and milky!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten! Why would you say that?!” Kun groaned in disgust as the others burst out laughing. “And Jaehyun, you do it, just take the vial!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t, I’ll get caught!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh for Merlin’s sake, I’ll do it -” Yuta pushed himself off of Sicheng’s shoulder where he was resting and was about to reach out to take the vial when someone cleared their throat behind him. Kun quickly grabbed the vial from Jungwoo, hiding it in his sleeve as they all turned around to face Professor Kang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on here?” the woman asked sternly, and they all tried their best not to look guilty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were just helping Sicheng and Mark with their Transfiguration homework,” Kun said, smiling as sweetly as he could. Professor Kang raised her eyebrows at them all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me it took seven of you to help two fifth-years with OWL level Transfiguration? And that too, only twenty minutes before the homework is due to be handed in to my class?” She stared pointedly at Sicheng and Mark, who both tried their best to look innocent and helpless. “Go on. Stop lingering in the doorway and go and eat breakfast. Oh, and you three?” she added, pointing at Jungwoo, Sicheng and Mark as she turned to go. “You’d better have some NEWT-level worthy essays to hand in to me today if you’re getting help from these boys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all held their breath as she left. “I swear she was less uptight </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> she married your sister, Jungwoo.” They broke out into laughter as Jungwoo glared at Jaehyun, rolling his eyes and shoving the boy into the Great Hall. “Tell us again, how does it feel to have the Transfiguration professor, literally the scariest professor in the history of Hogwarts, as your sister in law?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sicheng, make sure it goes well, ok?” Yuta said over his shoulder, and Sicheng gave him a thumbs up, still laughing at Jungwoo. The group separated, still laughing; Yuta and Ten headed towards the Slytherin common room to gather their books for classes, while the others entered the Great Hall, leaving Kun holding the vial. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, guys!” he yelled after them, but only Mark turned around, hanging onto Sicheng’s arm as they headed towards the Ravenclaw table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do it, hyung!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun grumbled under his breath as he headed to the Gryffindor table. “Why is it always me? I swear, if I get caught…” he unstoppered the vial as he walked, looking for the unsuspecting victim: Kim Doyoung.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doyoung was the sixth year prefect for Ravenclaw and as a result, he and Kun often shared rounds together at night. Doyoung was a perfect student, popular by association with Gryffindor’s pretty boy and their other friend Johnny Suh and also the subject of many pranks by the entirety of their friend group. The catch this time? He had a slight crush on Moon Taeil, the seventh-year boy in Johnny’s house, Gryffindor, who was about to graduate and head off to Peru for a year. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun had no idea how Ten had found out that information, but unfortunately for Doyoung, he was now about to experience the embarrassment of a lifetime. The vial Kun was clutching contained a small amount of Amortentia, the most powerful and potent love potion in existence. This dose in particular had been keyed to Taeil. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta had eagerly brewed it for them as soon as Sicheng mentioned Doyoung’s name, and Mark had managed to get a piece of Taeil’s hair after pretending to need help with tutoring in Charms. With that, Ten had carefully put together the perfect prank, and though Kun, like Taeyong, disapproved of the idea of pranking Doyoung so close to exams, he had to admit that Ten was a genius, and that this was a far easier way to stop Doyoung from pining after the older man and annoying all of them to no end. If all went well, Doyoung would be openly infatuated with Taeil for the next twenty-four hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Kun tripped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vial went flying from his hand straight across the Gryffindor table, skidding towards his intended target, but Kun witnessed none of it as he cursed, his knees bouncing off the cold stone of the floor. “Oh my gosh, are you ok?” Someone’s hand was on his arm, pulling him up off the floor and helping to dust his robes off. Kun turned to see Park Jisung, the third-year student and best friend of his cousin Chenle, staring at him in concern. “Hyung, are you ok? I’m so sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, Jisung, but...oh shit,” he cursed again, realising that the vial was gone. He turned, looking wildly around just as Sicheng ran across the room, leaving Mark behind at the Hufflepuff table where he’d gone to talk to his classmates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny hyung, no!” he yelled. “Don’t drink it!” Behind him, Jungwoo was hot on his heels, and he could see Taeyong and Johnny rising out of their seats in complete confusion. Kun groaned and buried his head in his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jisung, tell me what’s happening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Jisung stared at Kun. “Johnny hyung just drank some pumpkin juice from his goblet, and Sicheng hyung just got to him. Sicheng hyung looks like he’s crying, and...Mark hyung and Jungwoo hyung are laughing. Ten hyung just fell under the table, and I think one of your other friends is trying to get him out but he’s laughing too hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no!” Kun groaned, finally looking up. Jisung looked completely confused. “Jisung, I messed up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kun hyung, you absolute idiot!” Sicheng yelled, storming up to them, and Jisung gulped, quickly sliding off the bench as the entire Great Hall turned towards them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to find Chenle. See you later, hyung.” He quickly hurried away just as Sicheng reached them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kun hyung, do you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea of what you’ve just done?” Sicheng hissed, jabbing his finger into Kun’s chest. Kun winced, silently hoping Sicheng would keep his voice down in case they got caught again. He was already grateful that the Hall was mostly deserted this late in the morning. “You just dropped the vial into the wrong drink! Doyoung hyung was sitting right next to him, how could you miss?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I fell!” Kun protested, grabbing Sicheng’s wrist before the boy could hit him anymore. “I tripped over Jisung’s cloak and the vial flew out of my hand!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the point!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s...that’s literally the point,” Ten was still laughing so hard he could barely stand up, and though he was holding onto Jungwoo for support, the other boy was barely holding himself up. “This has got to be the funniest thing I have witnessed in a long, long time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could you laugh at this, Ten hyung?” Sicheng turned to Ten, hurt in his eyes. “That’s your best friend we’re talking about!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what? It’s not like it’s permanent,” Ten snorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is technically still a prank on Doyoung hyung too,” Jungwoo pointed out, detaching Ten’s arm from his neck. “Imagine his face when he sees Johnny hyung flirting with Taeil hyung.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, but it looks like nothing happened,” Jungwoo pointed out suddenly, and they all turned. Indeed, unlike the usual star-struck expressions that appeared on Amortentia victims, Johnny looked relatively normal. Like almost everyone else still in the Great Hall, he was staring in confusion at his friends, glancing into his goblet before looking back up at them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure the Amortentia actually reached Johnny hyung’s goblet?” Sicheng said suddenly, staring at Kun, a ray of hope appearing on his face. “Please tell me it didn’t, otherwise Yuta hyung will kill me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, I was too busy trying not to break my knees on this stupid floor to actually watch it,” Kun said, wincing a little as Sicheng’s face darkened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But luckily for you, I used my wand and directed it all into the goblet before it spilled onto the floor,” Jungwoo grinned, waving his wand in their faces. “So yes, Sicheng, unfortunately for you, Johnny </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span> had laced pumpkin juice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I found the empty vial under the table,” Ten added, holding it up, and Sicheng groaned.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you boys up to this time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for the second time in the space of ten minutes, Kun found himself hiding a vial in his sleeve as they all turned to face an unamused Professor Kang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I don’t get though,” Sicheng said for the third time that day, “is how he could’ve drank all that potion and have it not affect him at all! Like how does that make sense?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark sighed, staring at his friend over the top of his glasses. “Hyung, please, we have OWLs in two weeks, maybe try and focus on those?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, I’m begging you, help me with this stupid problem!” Jungwoo wailed. “You’re the only one who understood this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if you insult my brewing skills one more time, I’ll brew you a poison so deadly it’ll make the Draught of Living Death seem like a Pepper-Up potion,” Yuta added as he swept past their table to sit with Taeyong. “For the last time, that potion was perfect!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sicheng just sighed, shaking his head, deliberately ignoring Doyoung’s questions. “Taeyong hyung, you tell me then, what’s got Sicheng so worked up now?” Taeyong glanced briefly at Sicheng before he turned away, pretending not to hear Doyoung as he buried his nose in another textbook. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were working in the Gryffindor common room as the library was full to the brim with students panicking and attempting to cram last minute information into their minds. Really, though, it was the perfect opportunity for their friends to keep an eye on Johnny. He was sitting by the fire with Taeil, tossing a muggle tennis ball up and down absentmindedly as he read over Taeil’s essay. Taeil himself was leaning back in his seat, his eyes closed, and Doyoung used the opportunity to stare at Taeil with open-mouthed infatuation over Taeyong’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s so pretty,” Doyoung mumbled, and Kun sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close your mouth before you drool all over my books,” he warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doyoung smacked him on the arm. “Fuck off, I’m not drooling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You kind of were,” Yuta joined in the teasing, rubbing his eyes. “Imagine if Taeil hyung knew about your little crush,” he sang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t get it,” Sicheng grumbled again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please! Arithmancy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, fine!” Sicheng pulled Jungwoo’s essay towards him, still mumbling under his breath as Doyoung started arguing with Kun over the intricacies of his crush on Taeil, and Jungwoo and Ten crowded around Sicheng to hear his reluctant breakdown of the formulas. Mark took the opportunity to look over Sicheng’s shoulder at their oldest friends, quietly observing their behaviour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny was still reading Taeil’s essay, but Taeil’s head had slumped downwards, and Mark realised he was asleep. Mark watched as Johnny finished reading, his mouth forming words he couldn’t quite hear over Sicheng’s voice, before Johnny froze mid-sentence. He was staring at Taeil with a frown on his face, gently prodding the older boy, but he seemed to be fast asleep. Johnny took off his own cloak and balled it up before he gently placed it on the table, moving Taeil so that he rested on the soft make-shift pillow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark turned back to his own essay, frowning. “Why don’t we give him another dose?” he asked suddenly, turning to his friends. “Hyung, you still have some Amortentia left over, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hid the cauldron in the bathroom,” Yuta admitted, putting down his quill. “Though for the record, I don’t think this is a good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so lucky Taeyong hyung’s distracting Doyoung hyung right now, otherwise your plan would’ve already been blown to bits,” Sicheng said, rolling his eyes at Mark. “But I agree with Mark. Go for it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not going to kill him, is it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then good! Go for it! Then we’ll know exactly what happened to the first dose,” Ten said, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jungwoo hyung said he directed it into Johnny hyung’s goblet,” Mark pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but we don’t actually know if he did it or not,” Sicheng added, handing Jungwoo his essay back. “None of us actually saw it, and it’s not like you could miss bright golden yellow liquid. Not unless you were blind like Gryffindor’s seeker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, that’s a low blow! Dejun doesn’t deserve that kind of disrespect, he’s won us the house cup three years in a row,” Jaehyun exclaimed, startling them all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We thought you were with Doyoung hyung and Taeyong hyung!” Jungwoo gasped out, rubbing his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quidditch can’t keep me away for long. And Doyoung hyung’s gone to the library.” Jaehyun shifted in his seat, running his hands through his hair. “And anyway, Sicheng, Dejun’s not blind, he’s just...his talents show up in a different way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Different, sure,” Sicheng snorted, patting at Jaehyun’s hair fondly. “So different that he missed the snitch three times last year?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sicheng, Sicheng, Sicheng! If I wasn’t dating you, I’d show you exactly-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back to the point,” Ten said hurriedly, glancing at Taeyong before Jaehyun could voice his mock-threat against Sicheng. “Yuta hyung, let’s go and grab some more of your...concoction, and let’s go give Johnny hyung more lemon milk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, you have the weirdest comparisons,” Mark groaned, swatting at Ten’s shoulder. Ten just grinned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, Yuta hyung will provide the potion, but what about the part of Taeil hyung we need?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s easy.” Mark grinned, pointing over his shoulder at Johnny and Taeil. “He’s asleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Getting more of Taeil’s hair was even easier than Mark thought. All they had to do was distract Johnny, which Sicheng and Jaehyun did easily enough by pretending to still argue about Dejun and the Gryffindor quidditch team compared to the Hufflepuff team. While they were distracted, Mark used his wand to remove multiple strands of Taeil’s hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This feels like we’re feeding Johnny hyung Polyjuice potion,” Ten said later that evening as he helped Yuta pour a second dose of Amortentia into the original vial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Imagine Johnny in Taeil hyung’s body, though,” Yuta snorted, gesturing for Ten to add in Taeil’s hair. Ten grinned, stoppering the vial and shaking it. The potion flashed once before settling to the golden colour they all now affectionately referred to as lemon milk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think Johnny hyung knows how to be small.” Ten sighed, pocketing the vial as he stood up, extending a hand to Yuta. “Merlin forgive us for this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They headed down to dinner, chatting amicably between themselves. Professor Kang was already suspicious of them all, and as they entered the Great Hall, Ten checked to make sure her attention was elsewhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny hyung, my favourite hyung!” Ten sang as he sat down between Jaehyun and Sicheng opposite Johnny. Johnny stared at Ten suspiciously over his goblet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want from me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing!” Ten said brightly, and Sicheng elbowed him in the ribs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re being too obvious,” he muttered under his breath, and Ten took a deep, pain-filled breath before he smiled again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re also too bright for someone who’s about to head into exams knowing pretty much nothing,” Johnny added, looking way too serious, and Ten’s expression morphed to offense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi! I’ll have you know I’m a straight O student!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You only got one O in your OWLs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the only person to get a higher grade than me in History of Magic was our Minister of Magic, the great, the absolutely powerful Mrs Hermione Weasley herself,” Ten stuck out his chest, reaching out to add a few chicken legs to his plate. Johnny grinned, his eyes dancing with mirth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Minister, and me, and Taeyong, and Yuta, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, ok, I get it!” Ten said, rolling his eyes. “You’re so mean to me, hyung. You hurt my heart.” He pouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re disgusting,” Taeil grinned at him from across the table, and they laughed. Ten took a bite from his chicken and held his breath as Johnny picked up his goblet; while they had been arguing, he’d discreetly emptied the contents of the vial into Johnny’s juice. Sicheng had the vial in his hands now, and glancing down, Ten was relieved to note that it was completely empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny drank deeply, his throat contracting and relaxing rapidly as he swallowed down all of his drink. He blinked when he was done, catching his breath, and then he turned towards Taeil. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, are you finished with that casserole over there? Because I want some.” Taeil nodded distractedly, handing over the dish, and Johnny happily helped himself to a portion before turning to engage Taeyong in conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten deflated instantly. He looked over at Yuta, who seemed to be in shock. Why hadn’t the potion worked? “Did you do it?” Yuta mouthed at him, and Ten nodded quickly. Sicheng passed him the vial under the table, and Yuta took it with a frown before inspecting the table to make sure it hadn’t spilled. Then he sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Group meeting?” Ten mouthed back, and Yuta gave him a thumbs up. “Room of Requirement after dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny and Taeil were the last ones to leave the Great Hall after dinner. As soon as they’d finished eating, Mark and Yuta had disappeared together, and one by one, their other friends followed, making excuses of studying or going to walk in the grounds before curfew. Johnny wasn’t in the mood to study, and Taeil still seemed tired, so the two of them stayed behind, chatting amicably over a strawberry tart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they left, it was almost curfew, so they walked together up to the tower. Taeil had a soft smile on his face as they navigated their way up to Gryffindor Tower, and Johnny couldn’t help but admire his side profile. Taeil was beautiful, he couldn’t deny it. Something strange welled up in his chest, and not for the first time, Johnny had to resist the urge to reach out and pull Taeil to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was reminded again of the painful looming graduation date, the date where they would finally be leaving Hogwarts. Unfortunately, while Taeil was going off to Peru for a year for his medical internship, Johnny would be stuck here with nothing except his own yearning and heartache for company. Johnny sighed softly. His internal struggle was becoming a little harder to contain with each passing day, and he didn’t know whether he should make a move. He desperately wanted to tell Taeil how he felt, he wanted to be with him, but in his mind, it was clear that Taeil didn’t feel the same, and Johnny didn’t feel like ruining their seven-year long friendship just because he had feelings. And then there was Doyoung, who spoke about his crush on Taeil almost every day, and Johnny didn’t have the heart to take that away from his friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you not coming inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny jumped, looking up at Taeil. Taeil had already clambered through the portrait hole, and he was holding it open for Johnny, who’d been standing there lost in his thoughts. “Get inside, boy, you’re making it cold!” The Fat Lady glared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a portrait, how can you feel the cold?” Johnny shot back, but he climbed in anyway, rolling his eyes. “The nerve of her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten was saying the other day that she needs to go drinking with Violet more,” Taeil snorted, shaking his head, and Johnny laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As if she doesn’t drink enough. Those two wreak too much havoc on poor Hogwarts’ paintings as it is!” Taeil laughed, and Johnny felt the familiar warmth run through him. “Speaking of Ten, where the hell is he? Where is everyone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably gone back to their own dorms by now, it’s just gone curfew,” Taeil said absently as he scanned the common room. “But that’s odd. Taeyong usually stays here to work, he wouldn't go to bed this early.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just go and relax,” Johnny shook his head. “He might have gone to bed, he did look tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They took a seat by the fire, and though Johnny wasn’t in the mood to study any longer, he sat back and watched as Taeil took his books from his bag and spread them out across the table, bouncing his tennis ball again. “I shouldn’t have slept earlier,” Taeil groaned. “Merlin, there’s too much to remember, how will I ever get this done?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, hyung, you’re super smart,” Johnny said, smiling encouragingly. Taeil’s expression softened, and again, Johnny had to suppress the urge to reach and squeeze his cheeks, to pat his head, to kiss him. “You-you’ve got this. You know more than you think you do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil looked up, smiling softly at Johnny. “Thanks, Johnny.” He turned his attention back down to his essay, and Johnny felt his heart plummet down to his stomach. Merlin, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> in love with Taeil, and any minute now, he was sure he was going to blurt out his confession. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The time ticked by, and Johnny alternated between staring at Taeil working and out at the darkening sky, rolling the tennis ball around his arms. One by one, students gave up on studying and headed up to bed, and within two hours, it was just Johnny and Taeil. Taeyong hadn’t resurfaced, and neither had Jaehyun, so they’d assumed that the two of them were in the dorm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was now past eleven, and Johnny was past the point of caring. He’d been thinking and overthinking for too long, and he was sick of it already. He wanted to tell Taeil, because if he didn’t say anything now, he’d never say anything, and then he’d regret it, Doyoung be damned. He cleared his throat, and Taeil looked up, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Hyung,” Johnny began, then coughed, clearing his throat. “I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” Taeil put down his quill and pushed his Potions essay away from him, giving Johnny his full attention, and Johnny’s heart pulsated again. Merlin, he loved this man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s something I want to tell you,” he began hesitantly, and he could feel his ears going red the way Jaehyun’s did at the attention. “It’s...I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The portrait swung open and Taeyong, Jaehyun and surprisingly, Mark, stumbled inside in a tangle of limbs, tripping over each other. Johnny turned sharply, standing up. “Where have you been?” Taeil asked, rushing over to help them up, and Johnny followed, seething on the inside. He had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> close to confessing, and they just had to ruin it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were just out,” Jaehyun said lamely, rolling his eyes. “Almost got caught by Ms Kwon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What were you doing out so late? And shouldn’t you be going back to Ravenclaw Tower, Mark?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t, I barely made it here in one piece,” Mark said, pointedly shaking his head. “Can I just crash here tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeyong held out his hand. “Come sleep in my bed.” Mark grinned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure Yuta hyung will like that, but sure.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You leave Yuta to me!” Taeyong laughed fondly, shaking his head at the thought of his boyfriend. Johnny watched them go suspiciously, narrowing his eyes as they disappeared up the stairs to the 7th year boys dorms. Taeil waited until Jaehyun had gone before he turned back to Johnny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was it you wanted to tell me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. “It doesn’t matter.” He turned away, grabbing his bag and following the boys up to the dormitory before Taeil could say anything. By the time Taeil had tidied up his study materials and had joined them in the dorm, Johnny had closed his bed curtains and was pretending to sleep, listening to the sounds of Taeyong and Mark elbowing each other in the next bed over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil watched as Johnny all but ran up the stairs after Taeyong, Jaehyun and Mark. He wondered where the younger boys had been, but he didn’t get a chance to ask. By the time he’d gotten upstairs, Mark and Taeyong were whisper-shouting to each other in Taeyong’s bed, trying to get comfortable as they elbowed each other, and Jaehyun was watching in amusement, fiddling with his wand in one hand as he lay on his own bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny’s bed curtains were already closed, and Taeil could hear his steady breathing as he got dressed and brushed his teeth. He somehow knew Johnny wasn’t sleeping, but he didn’t pester his friend. If there was something bothering him, he’d tell him. Johnny trusted him, and he knew that repeatedly asking Johnny to tell him wouldn't help the situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite knowing all this, Taeil had a sleepless night. He couldn’t stop thinking about Johnny, the way he’d been distracted all night, the intensity of his stare. Taeil had seen him looking at him while he pretended to work on his Potions essay, and he wished Johnny would look away, not because he was uncomfortable (in fact, he secretly liked it, but he could never admit that out loud), but so Taeil could appreciate his side profile in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been absolutely ages since he and Johnny had been alone together. Taeil couldn’t remember the last time Jungwoo or Yuta or Ten hadn’t tagged along, and to spend hours together yesterday had felt like a dream. Johnny had let him sleep on his cloak, had checked over his essays for him, had made sure he’d eaten enough and had spent time with him without complaint. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil felt strange sometimes when it came to Johnny. It wasn’t bad, but he felt odd when he was around the taller boy, like he was on top of the world. It was Johnny who had encouraged him to apply for the Magical Nursing Institution in Peru, and it was Johnny who had suggested that he apprentice under Madam Jung in the hospital wing throughout his sixth and seventh years. It was Johnny who had held him while he cried in third year after his cat Cheshire had died, and it was Johnny who had accompanied him to his brother’s wedding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking back on it now, Johnny had been there for every high and low in Taeil’s life, and not once had he complained, despite the fact that Taeil was supposed to be the hyung, not Johnny. Taeil had been there for Johnny, too, but not in the way Johnny had stayed by Taeil’s side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought came to Taeil so suddenly that it almost left his brain before he managed to bring the tail end of the thought back into the forefront of his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in love with Johnny.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It explained so much the more he thought about it; why he felt sad when Johnny wasn’t close by, even if he was surrounded by Doyoung and Kun and the rest of their friends; why he perked up a lot more when Johnny was around; why he got butterflies when his and Johnny’s hands brushed together in Herbology; why he cheered the loudest when Johnny was playing Quidditch even though most of his friends were on their respective house teams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil had to muffle the frustrated groan that almost left his mouth. How could he have been so blind? Thinking about it, it had been years since he’d felt like this, so why hadn’t he ever realised? Why hadn’t he ever made a move? And now, it was too late. Taeil would be going to Peru in just over five weeks, leaving behind Johnny and the rest of their friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He, Moon Taeil, well and truly loved Johnny Suh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the third and last dose, ok?” Yuta said lowly to Jungwoo as he poured more Amortentia into the vial. “I don’t have the time or patience to make another batch. If it doesn’t work, we know it’s something wrong with Johnny and not the potion.” Jungwoo bit back a loud laugh as he thought back to last night’s antics in the room of requirement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To test out Yuta’s potion, they’d given Kun a tiny dose, barely more than two drops, keyed to Jaehyun. The effects had been instantaneous; Kun’s face had taken on a dreamy expression, and he’d latched himself onto Jaehyun’s arm almost immediately, trying to kiss him. Jaehyun had immediately gone to hide behind Sicheng, begging his boyfriend to save him as he pushed Kun away, glaring at everyone else as they exploded with laughter at his misfortune. Fortunately for both of them, the effects had worn off within the hour, and Kun was left glaring at his friends, refusing to look either Sicheng or Jaehyun in the eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It served to prove Yuta's point: his potion was perfect. Something nagged at his brain, but he couldn't quite get the thought to formulate, so he pushed it away, watching Jungwoo add the last strands of Taeil's hair into the pink-tinted liquid. As with the last two times, it flashed and changed into the golden shade they'd become accustomed to, and Yuta took it from Jungwoo, shaking it firmly and sliding it inside his robes alongside his wand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let's hope this works," Jungwoo said, holding out his fist to Yuta. Yuta bumped it with his own as they stood up, hastily clearing away the cauldron before anyone could find it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll clean up later."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They quickly hurried up to the Great Hall to meet their friends for breakfast. This morning, they'd separated to their own House tables; Kun was sitting at the Hufflepuff table by himself, reading over a Herbology text and muttering to himself as he tried desperately to memorise the information, ignoring Sicheng's looks from across the hall. Jungwoo patted Yuta on the arm once and with a whispered "good luck!" , he went to join his hyung. On the other end of the room, Mark and Doyoung were at the Ravenclaw table, and it looked like Doyoung was scolding Mark for some reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten was at the Slytherin table, shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth as he stared intently at the Gryffindor table over a Potions textbook, and Yuta followed his gaze to find Taeil, Johnny and Taeyong all slumped over on the table while Jaehyun ate cheerfully beside them with Sicheng, who'd left his house table in favour of his boyfriend. Yuta frowned and bypassed Ten to head straight over to them. "Hey baby," he greeted, planting a kiss on Taeyong's cheek. Taeyong brightened at seeing his boyfriend and sat up, leaning into his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm exhausted," he whined. "Mark stayed with us last night because we almost got caught heading back to the dorm," he explained. "Doyoung ditched him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is that why he's yelling at Mark now?" Yuta asked in amusement, and Taeyong sat up again to watch. Doyoung was still ranting at Mark, and from where he was sitting now, it looked like Mark was trying and struggling not to laugh. "Wait a second, did Mark sleep in your bed?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I couldn't let him sleep on the floor!" Taeyong said as Yuta frowned. "Come on, don't be like that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm just kidding," Yuta smiled and Taeyong groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm way too tired for this, stop teasing me." Taeyong slumped forward onto his arm again, and stroking his hair, Yuta turned his attention to Johnny and Taeil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What happened to you two?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Didn't sleep well," Johnny mumbled, picking his goblet up and taking a sip. "And this coffee isn't doing the trick."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's all a placebo, that's why," Yuta said, tapping his nose knowingly. “You think it’s the coffee  that wakes you up when really it’s just you naturally waking up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I napped too long yesterday,” Taeil added, blinking slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of flapping wings had them all looking up to see the morning post come in. Hundreds of owls flooded into the Great Hall, and Yuta took the opportunity. Untangling his hand from Taeyong’s hair, he quickly unstoppered the vial in his hand and dumped its contents into Johnny’s coffee while they were distracted. He sat down and was already carding his hand across the nape of Taeyong’s neck by the time they’d sluggishly turned back to the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta caught Ten’s eye from the Slytherin table, and Ten raised an eyebrow questioningly. Yuta nodded once and turned back to nudge his friends. “Come on guys, cheer up! Have some more coffee, we have classes again today!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do they force us to go to class when we have exams in literally two weeks?” Taeil grumbled, but he did as Yuta said, sitting up and blinking rapidly. Yuta poured coffee into three cups and handed one to Taeil and Taeyong. He took a long swig from his and nudged Taeyong, flicking his eyes to Johnny’s goblet and then down to his hand where he held the empty vial. Taeyong’s eyes widened and he smiled, doing as Yuta asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny watched the three of them drinking their coffee before he sighed, forcing himself upright. “Is my coffee ban lifted then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was referring to the coffee ban their friends had placed on him during their fifth year after Kun’s cousin Chenle and his friend Jisung had found him whizzing around the school on his broomstick and laughing his head off. Chenle had been so concerned he had called for Kun, but by then, it was too late. Professor Park, the potions professor, and Professor Byun, the flying teacher, had been coming in from the grounds just in time to see Johnny crash into the suit of armour in the Entrance Hall. Johnny had immediately been stunned by a furious Professor Byun, and he’d been given detention for the remainder of the year. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When his friends had managed to get the whole story out of him, they found it was a combination of sleep deprivation and way too much coffee that had caused him to spiral out of control. Since then, Ten and Taeil had taken it upon themselves to make sure Johnny was sleeping enough, and the others had put him on a coffee restriction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Yuta grinned. “Just for today, Johnny, you can drink as much as you’d like.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny perked up at that and reached for his goblet, draining it before he poured some more into a mug. Yuta watched with bated breath, but like the other times, nothing happened. Johnny didn’t even seem to feel the effects of the potion, and Yuta was left gaping at him in shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, what the hell was that?” Jaehyun muttered, quietly enough so that neither Taeil nor Johnny heard. “There’s no way that didn’t work.” He stared at Yuta and Taeyong, who both looked equally as stunned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand on Yuta’s shoulder had him whipping around to see Mark and Jungwoo standing there, the latter’s eyes bright. “Hyung, quick, Mark figured it out.” Yuta got up instantly, following the two of them out and ignoring Taeil’s confused questions with a wave of his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that potion worked,” Yuta exclaimed as soon as they were outside. “You saw it yourselves!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not the potion that’s the problem,” Jungwoo said, grinning. “In fact, your potion works perfectly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So why is he not reacting?” Yuta asked, staring at Mark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny hyung’s in love with Taeil hyung,” Mark said triumphantly. “He’s already in love with him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> why nothing’s happening!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s impossible,” Yuta breathed, his jaw dropping. “Even if he was already in love, there’s no way nothing would happen…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, there is,” Mark said, grinning. “Think about it. The purpose of Amortentia is to create an amplified love response towards another person. But in this case, this amplified love response already exists. So the potion won’t do anything, because there’s nothing for it to do! That’s how Johnny hyung isn’t feeling anything, because he’s already so used to hiding his feelings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta wished he didn’t believe what Mark was saying, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. “Holy fucking shit, so Johnny Suh has been in love with Taeil? For how long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark shrugged. “You’ve got to ask him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you ask him,” Yuta said suddenly, his eyes lighting up. “Jungwoo, you and Ten hide in the alcove near Gryffindor tower or something tonight, and Mark, you talk to him! Get him to confess, and you two can be our witnesses or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love a good little romance,” Jungwoo grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully. “I love how this has turned from Operation: Prank Doyoung hyung to Operation: Get Johnny hyung and Taeil hyung together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go spread the word,” Yuta ordered just as the bell rang, the noise reverberating through the castle. He spotted Johnny and Taeil hurrying towards him, Taeil carrying Yuta’s bag with him. “Tell the others what you just told me, and get ready for tonight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The day passed by agonisingly slowly. Taeil spent the majority of it lying on his arm, listening to the drone of the professors giving them last minute exam advice in the background as he stared at Johnny’s tired face. Even exhausted, Johnny looked ethereal, like an angel, and Taeil thought that if circumstances had been different, a little kinder to them, that he would love to stare at that face forever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Professor Kang had not been impressed at Taeil’s exhaustion. She glared at him, beckoning to him to sit up and pay attention multiple times throughout Transfiguration. Taeil tried, but he was too distracted from a lack of sleep and thoughts of Johnny, and even Professor Kang taking away ten, then fifteen, then twenty points from Gryffindor didn’t help Taeil to focus at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny didn’t seem to notice Taeil’s piercing gaze. Despite his exhaustion, he still managed to crack the appropriate jokes, nudging an annoyed Taeyong throughout the day and gently patting Taeil’s head to the point where Taeil almost fell asleep during Charms. Taeil felt his heart melt at that gesture, but he forced down his feelings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had a plan. He was going to tell Johnny how he felt. He knew it was cruel on his part, especially as he’d be going to Peru in a few short weeks, but he couldn’t not tell him. Taeil knew that if he kept quiet, he’d spend the next year agonising all about it and what if, when he came back, Johnny was dating someone else? It would be too late then. Taeil would be heartbroken, and that would be a year wasted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, he decided. He’d tell Johnny tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never got to ask you about this, but what was all that about with Sicheng the other day at breakfast?” Doyoung nudged Kun as they headed down for dinner. “Why was he yelling at you in the middle of the Hall?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun’s eyes snapped up to meet Doyoung’s face. “Uh, he thought I did something wrong, but I didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vague,” Doyoung snorted as Taeyong and Johnny fell into step beside them. “No reason to attack you for it.” Johnny bounced his muggle tennis ball onto the floor, and Doyoung winced as it hurtled towards his face before Johnny reached out to catch it, grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing important, we fixed it and all is good now,” Taeyong said, catching sight of Kun’s panicked face. “Sicheng likes the dramatics sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He really does,” Doyoung agreed, grinning. “It’s fun, though. Entertaining.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.” Johnny bounced the ball one more time. “Anyone seen Taeil hyung?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeyong and Kun exchanged another glance, this one more amused. Mark had caught up with them sometime before lunch to explain his theory, and the two of them had been waiting all day for a glimpse of it. Johnny’s tone was casual, but looking closely at his body language, Taeyong could see that he was a little nervous, perhaps even excited. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jaehyun said he’s sleeping, and that he’d sneak some food up for him later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poor hyung, he works way too hard,” Doyoung pouted, and Kun and Taeyong immediately elbowed him playfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> whipped, aren’t you?” Kun teased him. “What are you going to do next year when he’s gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Find someone else to crush on?” Doyoung responded, rolling his eyes. “What?” he added at the shocked glance Taeyong sent him. “It’s not like I’m in love with him! If I was, I would’ve told him by now. It’s just a little crush, no big deal.” Taeyong glanced at Johnny out of the corner of his eye, noting how Johnny stiffened, then relaxed, then stiffened again as Doyoung spoke, though the tennis ball continued to bounce effortlessly off the stone walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were just heading down the last flight of stairs when Mark hurried up to them breathlessly. Taeyong and Kun both tried to catch his eye, but to his credit, he kept his eyes resolutely on Johnny, looking suitably worried as his robe slipped off his shoulder. “Johnny hyung, can I talk to you? Please. It’s urgent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny nodded, grabbing his tennis ball and frowning at Mark. “Sure.” They waited for Doyoung, Taeyong and Kun to enter the hall, the latter two giving Mark a subtle wink and a thumbs up behind Doyoung’s back. As soon as they were gone, Johnny led Mark to sit by the bench. “What’s up, Mark?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to ask you for help for something,” Mark said nervously, forcing himself not to look over at the alcove where Jungwoo and Ten were hidden. He turned to Johnny. “I...can I ask you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re in love with Taeil hyung.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m WHAT?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shush!” Mark hurriedly reached up to clamp a hand across Johnny’s mouth as a few fourth-years passed them, jumping in surprise and then giggling at seeing Johnny and Mark. Johnny stared at Mark over his hand, clear unadulterated panic visible in his eyes. “Don’t be so loud, hyung!” Mark waited for Johnny to calm down before he took his hand away. “I found out your secret.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, how?” Johnny spluttered, staring at Mark with his eyes wide. “Merlin, Mark Lee, did you like...did you mind-read me, or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s called Legilimency, hyung,” Mark rolled his eyes. “And no, I didn’t, because that’s illegal. As to how I found out, well...let’s just say you’re not the most subtle of people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve kept it hidden for four years, so there’s no way you could’ve just figured it out.” Johnny stared at Mark, who grinned triumphantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Four years?! Thanks for letting me know, and thanks for confirming it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark grabbed his bag and hurried off, leaving Johnny staring after him, open-mouthed. “Mark Lee, what the hell?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was bluffing, hyung!” he yelled as he headed over to Sicheng at the Ravenclaw table. Johnny felt anger welling up inside him, both directed at the fifth-year Ravenclaw who was grinning smugly at him, and at himself, for falling for the poorly-constructed trap. He stood up, ignoring the slightly scared glances that a group of third-years were sending him, and he was about to storm off into the Great Hall to find Taeyong, Doyoung and Kun when he spotted Taeil. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hyung!” he greeted, his anger instantly melting away and a bright grin on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny, hi.” Taeil turned, giving him a small wave and gesturing for him to sit down. He still looked exhausted, but his smile was brighter than it had been during the day, and Johnny felt his heart flutter in his chest. He could see Taeyong and Kun smiling at him from down the table, but he suddenly didn’t feel the need to go and sit by them. He was content to sit here with Taeil, staring at Taeil’s boyish face for as long as he possibly could. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were sleeping,” Johnny said, and all of a sudden he felt a wave of something unidentifiable come over him. He felt like he was floating on air, like someone had cast a spell on him. His face felt hot, and all he could focus on was Taeil. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was, but I decided to come and eat before dinner finishes.” They ate in silence for a minute before Taeil looked up again. “Is everything ok?” He reached out, putting a hand on Johnny’s forehead to check his temperature, frowning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny felt his heart drop and he let out an unintelligible noise around a mouthful of mashed potatoes that was halfway between a grunt and whine. Taeil’s frown deepened and he stood up. “You need to visit the hospital wing,” he said firmly. “Come on. I’m sure Madam Jung will be able to sort you out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with me?” Johnny managed to get his voice to work enough to ask. His brain felt like mush, and he stared up at Taeil with wide, innocent eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re burning up! I’d help you but I’ve run out of Pepper-Up in my stash and I forgot the diagnostic spells,” Taeil admitted, holding out his hand. “Come on, Johnny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny obediently stood up, following Taeil out of the Great Hall just as Jungwoo and Ten entered, both of their faces red from laughing. Mark looked like he was struggling not to laugh either; he adopted an innocent-enough concerned face as Taeil and Johnny passed, but the second they were gone, he exploded with laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jungwoo collapsed onto the bench right next to him, giggling away, and across the hall at the Gryffindor table, Taeyong looked heavily amused despite himself. “I told you!” Mark gasped out, wiping his eyes as he turned to Ten. “He really is in love with Taeil hyung!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a genius, Mark Lee,” Yuta said from behind them, begrudgingly patting Mark on the shoulder. “Guess this really is a prank on Doyoung too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What prank?” They all jumped in surprise as Doyoung headed over to them, looking at them all suspiciously. “Where did Taeil hyung and Johnny hyung go? And what prank are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, are you already having withdrawal symptoms?” Sicheng teased him, grinning. “Missing your precious Taeil already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>hyung </span>
  </em>
  <span>to you,” Doyoung shot back, his cheeks reddening, and the others sagged in relief at the change of topic. “And no, I just wanted to talk to Taeil hyung about something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh,” Yuta, Mark and Sicheng chorused together, and Doyoung glared at them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny hyung’s very, very ill,” Jungwoo told him, putting on a solemn face and nudging Sicheng, who snorted into his casserole. “Taeil hyung took him to the hospital wing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no.” Without another word, Doyoung left, sweeping out of the hall and leaving the others behind to witness the chaos. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merlin, this is going to be fun,” Sicheng said weakly, banging his fist on the table as Yuta got up to sit by Taeyong, still chortling away. “Can’t wait to see what happens next!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny lay on the bed, a giddy smile on his face while Madam Jung flipped her wand expertly above him. Now that Taeil mentioned it, Johnny did feel like he was on top of the world, but he wasn’t sure what it was. All he knew was that he didn’t want Taeil to leave him, or he’d be sad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Very</span>
  </em>
  <span> sad, in fact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Madam Jung turned to Taeil, looking exasperated. “I can’t see anything wrong with him, Mr Moon, though I’m assuming you reached the same conclusions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am, but I thought I’d bring him here in case I missed something,” Taeil said, gently feeling Johnny’s forehead again. “His fever is still there.” Madam Jung put her hand on Johnny’s face too before she sighed. “Is there not anything you can give him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not when he’s still perfectly healthy, Mr Moon,” she said, shaking her head. “His fever isn’t that bad, he can sleep it off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mark found out my secret today.” Johnny now had a goofy grin on his face, and both Taeil and Madam Jung turned to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, Mr Suh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Johnny frowned. He reached up and put a hand on his chest, smiling giddily once again. “I’m in love.” His hand flopped down to his side and he turned to Taeil, grabbing his hand. “Hyung…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Has he eaten or drank anything weird that you know of?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We let him have more than one cup of coffee this morning,” Taeil said after a moment. “But other than that, nothing. We...we spent pretty much the whole day together.” He hoped his blush did not show up on his face, but luckily for him, Madam Jung wasn’t even looking at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed again, clearly irritated. “I don’t know what kind of prank you boys are playing, but I suggest you and your friends-” she gestured at Doyoung and Kun waiting impatiently outside of the hospital wing “-take Mr Suh back to his dormitory and get him in bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not-” Taeil began but Madam Jung was already walking away, and Taeil ran a hand over his face, gesturing for his friends to enter. “Could one of you explain exactly what’s happening? Why is he like this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun swallowed, trying hard not to laugh at Johnny. He had slowly sneaked a hand up to Taeil’s face and was now toying with a strand of Taeil’s hair. Taeil stilled, visibly trying not to react, and it made the urge to laugh that much harder for Kun to suppress. “What did Madam Jung say?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taeillie!” Johnny sang before Taeil could answer, and Kun couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing, turning away so Taeil didn’t see his expression. “Hyungie, can I tell you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Doyoung blurted out, stepping forward and cutting Johnny off from speaking anymore. He hooked a hand under Johnny’s neck and pulled him upright. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” Taeil glared at Kun, who’d turned back around to help, before he, too, grabbed Johnny’s arm and hooked it around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kun, I swear to Merlin and his mother that I’ll get an answer out of you, just as soon as we get Johnny into bed,” Taeil hissed, raising an eyebrow at the Hufflepuff. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed what the rest of you have been up to the last few days, ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve just been studying, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kun went for innocence as he supported half of Johnny’s body weight, dragging the delirious boy up and out of the bed. Doyoung let go of him, walking ahead to open the doors for them. “We’re innocent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and Doyoung’s gonna fail his NEWTs,” Taeil snorted sarcastically. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m WHAT?!” Doyoung exclaimed, panic flashing in his eyes, completely missing the joke. “I’d rather die than fail anything in my life!” He thought for a second. “You know what? You two have got Johnny hyung, right? I’m going to study.” He ran off without a glance backwards, and Kun couldn’t quite hold back his laugh this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Way to go, hyung.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh just shut up and help me get Johnny back to the dorm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they’d reached Gryffindor Tower, Yuta, Mark, Jaehyun and Taeyong had filtered up after dinner. Yuta was arguing with a fifth year prefect who insisted that everyone not in Gryffindor should leave. Upon seeing Taeil and Johnny enter with Kun, the fifth-year huffed and walked away, crossing her arms and glaring at an apologetic Mark. “I tried to reason with her,” Mark explained as Taeil and Kun finally dropped down into seats, exhausted. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny’s delirious right now,” Taeil said, gathering everyone around. “And I know you all have answers.” The others glanced at each other, and Taeil glared at them. “Don’t look at each other like that, I’m talking to you! I know you’ve done something, you haven’t exactly been sneaking around in a bloody invisibility cloak, you’re not slick! So go on. Surrender your wands so I can see what you’ve been up to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil was surprised when nobody objected, but a few </span>
  <em>
    <span>priori incantatem</span>
  </em>
  <span> later, he realised why. None of the spells from the afternoon showed anything other than the standard charms and spells they’d been using all day in classes. In fact, the most lethal spell that came up was from Taeyong’s wand, a simple cutting curse they’d learned a few years back and that they’d been practising that very afternoon in Charms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if you haven’t hexed him, then it’s got to be something else. A potion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta flinching was what gave it away. “Hyung, we-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, just tell me,” Taeil demanded. “What potion did you give him? In fact, I’ll go and check right now by myself so I can figure out the antidote-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love potion! It was a love potion!” Mark blurted out, and Jaehyun glared at him, smacking him in the arm. Mark deflated. “It was meant to be a prank, hyung, but...it didn’t work. Not exactly,” he explained wearily. “So we gave him more doses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many more doses?” Taeil’s voice was suspiciously calm, but they could all see the anger bubbling up inside of him, and that meant he was dangerous. Small sparks were shooting from the end of his wand, flittering towards the floor, but it would only take one movement for Taeil to have any one of them at the other end of his wand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta and Mark nudged Taeyong forward at the same time; Taeyong shot Yuta a furious glare but he sighed, turning to Taeil. “Three doses in total. One today, one yesterday, one the day before that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So now he’s got some sort of blood poisoning because you all decided to overdose him on Amortentia! And why didn’t it work? Who was it keyed to? Ten? Sicheng? Or was it Doyoung?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil faltered in his rant. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were trying to prank Doyoung hyung,” Jaehyun explained quietly. “But Kun hyung dropped the vial into Johnny hyung’s goblet that first day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which was why Sicheng went to attack him,” Taeil said slowly. “Go on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But then it didn’t work. Nothing happened. So then we tried it again yesterday, and we saw Ten do it himself, but it still didn’t work! So then we gave Kun hyung a little bit to test it out - not keyed to you - and it worked perfectly.” Kun covered his face with his hands, still embarrassed after last night’s escapades. “So then this morning, Yuta hyung went himself to give Johnny the last dose. We decided today would be the last one, because we know that it’s dangerous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’ve managed to make it dangerous anyway,” Taeil muttered, shaking his head. “Then what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it,” Jaehyun shrugged. “We gave up. It still didn’t work. Then Mark realised why.” He turned to Mark, who looked terrified once again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, do we have to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just tell me or I’ll bat-bogey you,” Taeil threatened, and more sparks flew from his wand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because...Johnny hyung’s in love with you already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark cringed as soon as he said that, waiting for Taeil’s reaction, but Taeil seemed shocked. He’d frozen in his seat, and if Mark couldn’t see his pupils shifting, he would’ve thought that someone had charmed him to stay still. “Say that again.” His voice was hoarse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Johnny loves you, hyung,” Taeyong said softly, moving out of Yuta’s embrace to gently pat Taeil’s shoulder. “He’s loved you for a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil turned to him, tears glistening in his eyes, but to their surprise, he was smiling. “This isn’t part of your prank is it? Because…” he sniffled, and instantly, Taeyong realised what was happening. Taeil was just as in love with Johnny as Johnny was with Taeil. It had been in front of them this whole time, all of these years, and every single one of their friends had been blind to it. “Because it’ll kill me if you’re pranking me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear on my life this is true,” Taeyong said, grinning widely. “You love him too, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil didn’t even hesitate as he nodded, wiping away the tears that had started to fall. “Aw, hyung, don’t cry,” Yuta hurried to him, pulling him into a tight hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get off, I’m not crying,” Taeil mumbled, laughing a little, but he allowed Yuta to hug him. After a moment, the others joined, patting Taeil on the back to console him. “I...how did you even figure that out?” Taeil asked when he’d calmed down enough to speak again. His eyes were bright, but he looked a lot less angry now than he’d done ten minutes ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did a little bit of research this morning,” Mark explained. “I left early because Taeyong hyung kept elbowing me in my sleep-” Taeyong glared at him, and Mark grinned. “- and I had nothing better to do. So I went to the library and did a little bit of research about Amortentia, and then it clicked. Why else wouldn't the potion work? We knew it wasn’t the potion itself, because it worked for Jaehyun and Kun. So what was it?” Mark grunted as Jaehyun threw a pillow at him, wrapping his arms around it and getting comfortable. “And then it hit me. The potion is supposed to create these powerful feelings and let them out. But in this case, there’s nothing for it to do, because the feelings are already there, and Johnny hyung just has very good control over his emotions.” Mark smiled, pleased with himself, and Taeil nodded, letting out a huge breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense.” He hesitated for a second before he got up, shaking out his hands and taking a deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I’ve been planning on this for a while, but now that I know for sure that I won’t be rejected, don’t you think it’s time your hyung finally has a happy ending?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil disappeared up the stairs to the boys’ dorms as Jaehyun wolf-whistled after him and the others clapped and cheered for him, ignoring the disapproval of the rest of the students in the common room. He grinned to himself, ignoring the slight tremble in his hands, and got ready for the biggest confrontation of his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny was miserable. He felt floaty, and light, but also lonely now that Taeil wasn’t here. Kun and Taeil had brought him back to his bed, but that wasn’t his fault. He just felt so light that he couldn’t support his weight. That wasn’t bad, was it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny sighed. He wanted Taeil to come back. He wasn’t sick, not really. Not unless being lovesick counted as being ill, in which case, that was it. Johnny didn’t know why he was feeling like this all of a sudden. He’d been so good at hiding his emotions - after all, he’d been doing it for so long already - so what had changed now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled over again, tangling his legs in the sheets and hugging his pillow to his chest, a pout on his face. As if on cue, the dormitory door opened and Taeil stepped inside, quietly peeking around to check on Johnny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny sat up straight away, aware that his school shirt was rumpled and his hair was a mess, but he grinned anyway at Taeil. “Hyungie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Taeil greeted him, smiling. He seemed nervous, and Johnny frowned. Taeil swallowed visibly before he made his way around the beds to Johnny’s, sitting down on the edge. “I just came to check on you. See how you’re feeling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better now that you’re here,” Johnny said honestly, and Taeil blushed. Johnny grinned, reaching up to trace the reddening skin from his cheeks to his ears before his hand finally came to a rest on the back of Taeil’s neck. “What’s up, hyung?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Taeil replied, but it was a little too quick. Johnny just grinned knowingly, and Taeil sighed. “Move over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny did as he was told, waiting for Taeil to throw his robe at his bed and remove his shoes. He patted the space next to him and Taeil clambered in, leaning back against the headboard. “Go on, then. Tell me what’s bothering you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you won’t hate me for this,” Taeil began, fiddling with the end of his loosened tie, “but I don’t think I can look you in the eye while I say this. And I know that’s ironic, considering we’re Gryffindors and what-not, but we both know I wasn’t really meant to be here, so...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever it is, I won’t hate you, hyung,” Johnny said, and a little bit of relief flooded into him, replacing the mind-numbing euphoria he’d been experiencing earlier. “I could never hate you. Ever. And no matter what you think, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> brave, hyung. You’re brave, courageous, and you’re one of the best people I know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil smiled a little to himself. “There’s no easy way to say this, so...I’m in love with you, Johnny Suh. Have been for years, I don’t even know how long, because I only came to that conclusion yesterday.” Taeil felt Johnny still beside him, but he’d already said it. Forcing down the disappointment, he pressed on. “I realised that whenever you left, I was feeling disappointed. Lonely. Empty, even. But when I’m with you, I’m...happy. More than happy. I’m content, like my other half is here. I know it’s not like…” Taeil sighed in frustration. “I can’t word it properly, I’m not good with words like Doyoung is. But...Merlin, what I’m trying to say is, I want to be with you, Johnny. I like being with you. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re so </span>
  <em>
    <span>bloody</span>
  </em>
  <span> handsome, but more than that, you’re kind, you’re caring, you’re a gentleman. You know just what to say to make a bad situation good, you know exactly what to do when things go wrong. You brighten up my life, and honestly, without you, I don’t know where I’d be. Like one time when we were in fourth year and I forgot to do my Charms homework and you just...gave me yours and then pretended that you forgot to do your homework when it was me. You didn’t have to do that, and you didn’t have to get detention for me, but you did it anyway and you didn’t even complain about it!” Taeil swallowed hard and took in a shaky breath, looking up for the first time since he’d started talking. “I know that was a lot, and I know there’s a possibility I’m misreading things and the kids downstairs just pranked me again when they told me you liked me back, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Johnny leaned down, capturing Taeil’s mouth against his. Taeil stopped talking, stopped moving, stopped </span>
  <em>
    <span>breathing</span>
  </em>
  <span> as he felt Johnny’s soft lips on his own. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit, is this really happening?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was Taeil’s last coherent thought before he reached up, wrapping his arms around Johnny’s neck and leaning upwards, deepening the kiss. He didn’t know what to think, but all he knew was that if he was dreaming, then he was intending to make this the best dream ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeil didn’t know how much time had passed before they finally separated, panting for breath. They’d migrated along the bed, and now Taeil was in Johnny’s arms, lying contently on his chest. “Wow,” he breathed when he was sure his voice was working again, and he was rewarded with Johnny’s deep belly laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow indeed, hyung,” he chuckled, running his hand up and down the length of Taeil’s arm. “You have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Taeil looked up, banging the top of his head on Johnny’s chin. “Do tell me.” He lay back down again, rubbing his head and getting comfortable on Johnny’s chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Third year,” Johnny said simply. “I’ve liked you since third year. Think I fell for you properly in fourth year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? So why didn’t you say anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’</span>
  <em>
    <span>t you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I literally only realised last night that what I was feeling was love!” Taeil said, yelping when Johnny poked him in the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was scared!” Johnny responded, resuming his ministrations on Taeil’s hair. “What if you didn’t like me back? I would’ve just wrecked our friendship for no reason at all.” He sighed a bit. “I’ve been playing this in my head for a long, long time, hyung. About how I’d confess to you. I almost did a few times, but I chickened out at the last second. Which makes me even less of a Gryffindor than you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we’re both not Gryffindors, then what are we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They shared a laugh together. “But yeah. The last four years just...went by. I got to stand next to you all these years and watch you grow as your friend. I’m so proud of you hyung, for everything you’ve done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I said earlier, I couldn’t have done it without you,” Taeil said, shyly leaning up to kiss the corner of Johnny’s mouth, and then they were away, a tangle of limbs and bedsheets and euphoria, and Taeil had never felt happier in his entire life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeyong was the first to wake that morning. His gaze fell across to Johnny’s bed, and he couldn’t help but smile. The curtains were open, and he could see Johnny cuddling Taeil, the smaller boy tucked into the crook of his arm, the two of them sleeping peacefully. It was adorable, and Taeyong made a mental note to snap a picture before the two of them awoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t uncommon for them to find each other sleeping in beds other than their own, but judging by the content smile on Taeil’s face, and the way Johnny draped himself protectively over Taeil, it wasn’t hard for Taeyong to figure out that they really had finally gotten together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others had waited in the common room for hours last night, waiting for Johnny and Taeil to emerge, but after eleven o’clock, it was clear that they weren’t coming back. Yuta, Kun and Mark snuck away back to their own dormitories, and Jaehyun and Taeyong had headed up to bed to find Johnny and Taeil asleep soundly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeyong padded around the dormitory quietly, getting ready as he did so and taking out Jaehyun’s camera so he could take a picture of Johnny and Taeil. The image was sweet; picture-Johnny shifting to make space for picture-Taeil, and picture-Taeil cuddling back into picture-Johnny. Taeyong grinned as he tugged his robe on and left the picture on Johnny’s bedside table for the two of them to find when they eventually woke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was early as Taeyong headed downstairs, but Yuta was already there, sitting by himself at the Slytherin table. Taeyong greeted him with a kiss, grinning at his boyfriend as he settled in next to him. “Morning, Yongie,” Yuta grinned. “How did it go with the hyungs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just wait and see,” Taeyong said, tapping the side of his nose secretively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily for Yuta, he didn’t have to wait long. Only half an hour later, when most of their friends had turned up to join them for breakfast, Johnny and Taeil arrived hand-in-hand. Even from this distance, they could see the blush on Taeil’s cheeks, though both of their faces radiated with joy. Doyoung was the first to notice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, guys? Why are Taeil hyung and Johnny hyung holding hands?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta winced, looking around at the others, but everyone suddenly seemed super interested in their breakfast. Mark pointedly shoved a forkful of scrambled eggs in his mouth so he didn’t have to answer Doyoung’s question, and Ten grabbed the outer sheet of Taeyong’s newspaper to busy himself in reading that. Yuta glared at him before he turned to Doyoung. “They’re dating, Doie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Since when?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since last night when they both decided to stop being idiots and actually face their feelings, like we did,” Sicheng said from where he was leaning against Jaehyun. “Took them long enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doyoung didn’t have time to say anything else; Johnny and Taeil had reached their group, and now they were cheering for the happy couple, ignoring the embarrassed look on both of their faces and Johnny’s insistence for them to shut up. “Guys, come on,” Johnny groaned, waving away Jungwoo’s hand on his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a question,” Taeil said suddenly when everyone else in the Great Hall had stopped staring. “Why were you going to give Doyoung a love potion keyed to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, what?” Doyoung and Johnny chorused at the same time, staring at Taeil. Doyoung looked absolutely mortified, while Johnny seemed confused. Realisation seemed to dawn on him at that moment, and he opened his mouth before Taeyong could stop him. “So that day when Sicheng nearly beat the crap out of you, it was because you put a love potion in my pumpkin juice instead of Doyoung’s, wasn’t it?” he asked Kun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun nodded, avoiding Doyoung’s gaze, which had turned furiously to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so Doyoung liked me?” Taeil asked, and Doyoung groaned, burying his head into his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is so embarrassing, shut up!” he groaned. “It doesn’t mean anything!” He looked up again. “And hyung, that fact that you liked Taeil hyung too, that makes it even worse! I feel like I cock-blocked you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You kind of did,” Johnny said with a shit-eating grin, and they all laughed as Doyoung turned even redder. “Nah, I’m just kidding. It’s ok.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just don’t make a move on me, ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, when have I </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> made a move on you?!” Doyoung exclaimed amidst more laughter from their friends. Jungwoo and Mark were holding onto each other, sliding down the bench at Doyoung’s indignant reactions, and the entire attention of the Great Hall was once again on them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just kidding,” Taeil said with a grin, leaning away from Johnny for a moment to wrap his arm around Doyoung’s shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, you’ll make a great boyfriend one day to someone else, and you’ll find someone way better than me. I’m sorry for not liking you back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Doyoung said, smiling and grinning at Johnny and Taeil. “I’m happy for you both, hyungs, I really am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that all of this lovey-dovey stuff is over,” Johnny said, commanding their attention once more, “every single one of you are about to get pranked, so get ready,” he said threateningly. “I don’t care that we’re the pinnacle of inter-house cooperation in this school, you’re all about to get your asses handed to you. How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> you give me Amortentia?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the record, I disapproved entirely!” Taeyong said hastily, moving along the bench. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lies, you were just as invested in this as we all were!” Ten shot back, flicking a little bit of scrambled eggs over at Taeyong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr Suh, did I just hear you admit to being given Amortentia on Hogwarts grounds?” Professor Kang’s silky voice filtered through their conversation, causing Yuta to choke on the mouthful of toast he’d just bit into.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh...no ma’am, I’m sure that’s illegal,” Johnny said quietly, adopting a serious demeanour. “I was just joking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good!” she said brightly. “Oh, and by the way, congratulations on finally getting together with Mr Moon over there, I was beginning to think it’ll never happen!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And to the shock and surprise of all ten of them sitting there at the Slytherin table, Professor Kang smiled and winked at them before she walked away.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! Firstly, thank you so much to the prompter, I had so much fun writing this fic, especially as it combines two of my favourite things - Harry Potter and NCT! Thank you again, your mind is amazing and the pairing is also perfect, it was amazing! Secondly, thank you so much to my amazing beta Irene, without you, I could NEVER have finished this fic and have it turn out the way it has done, so thank you again! Thirdly, thank you to the amazing Mod Lucy for running this incredible fic fest, it's been so much fun and you've made it so much easier for us all to navigate the fest, so again, thank you Lucy!</p><p>A final note then, just to say that I'm aware Amortentia isn't meant to be keyed to a person the way Polyjuice Potion is - however, I decided to manipulate the prompt slightly to fit the idea that I had, and therefore that involved changing the characteristics of the potion. That being said, it may be JKR's sandpit, but the castle I chose to build from it is entirely my own, so really, it doesn't make a huge difference ;)</p><p>I hope you've all enjoyed this fic! I look forward to reveals hehe</p></blockquote></div></div>
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